If confirmed by the Senate, Price would play a central role inRepublican efforts to repeal and replace the current health care law. Trump haspledged to move quickly on overhauling the landmark measure, but has been vagueabout what he hopes to see in a replacement bill. Also, Seema Verma was pickedto become administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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The president-elect has said he favors keeping provisions thatallow young people to stay on their parents' health insurance and would preventinsurance companies from denying coverage to those with pre-existingconditions.

Replacing President Barack Obama's health care law is "oneof the things he's going to lead the charge on as secretary of HHS," saidJason Miller, a Trump transition team spokesman.

Democrats immediately signaled a fight over the pick.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, saidPrice has proven to be far out of the mainstream of what Americans want forhealth care programs and services for seniors, the disabled and women.

"Nominating Congressman Price to be the HHS secretary isakin to asking the fox to guard the hen house," Schumer said.

Price, a 62-year-old six-term congressman and orthopedicsurgeon, has chaired the House Budget Committee for the past two years. Abookish conservative from the Atlanta suburbs, Price has worked closely withHouse Speaker Paul Ryan to assemble GOP budgets aimed at reducing the annualdeficit.

In a statement early Tuesday, Price said he is "humbled bythe incredible challenges that lay ahead and enthusiastic for the opportunityto be a part of solving them on behalf of the American people."

He said he will work "to ensure we have a health caresystem that works for patients, families, and doctors, that leads the world inthe cure and prevention of illness, and that is based on sensible rules toprotect the well-being of the country while embracing its innovativespirit."

Last week, Price said that whatever Republicans do to replaceObama's health care law will bear a "significant resemblance" to a2015 measure that was vetoed by the president. That bill would have gutted someof the health care law's main features: Medicaid expansion, subsidies to helpmiddle-class Americans buy private policies, the tax penalties for individualswho refused to get coverage and several taxes to support coverage expansion.The bill would have delayed implementation for two years.

Price insisted that Republicans can keep the protections forthose with existing medical conditions without mandating that all individualscarry coverage or pay a penalty to support an expanded insurance pool. Pricesaid Republicans want to address "the real cost drivers" of healthcare price spikes, which he said were not necessarily sicker patients, but aheavy regulatory burden, taxes and lawsuits against medical professionals.